The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-06-09

NIUE Va Ecplys ATob putting I'LL OuE llSulS 10
avoid discovery. Softly pulling the thread,
we felt gentle strain in reply, and the note
was pulled up, to reach, We prayed. the
hands Of her who so anxiously awaited it
On our return to the gate it was immediate
ly opened when we had knocked and the
guard had recognized our English voices.
Our letter tothe lady contained the follow
ing:
THE fifth night counting from tomorrow. we
will rescue you By a rOpe-ladder. At one o'clock
we viii attach a strong line TO the end of your
cord. Pull this until the ladder reaches you
The line will be sufficiently strong to bear your
weight. Place the line over a hook or post but
do not make il fast. We viii hold the end, so
fear not The tine will be withdrawn after your
descent, so that no one will discover the manner
OF your escape. There will be no moon. Before
daybreak you will be on vessel under way for
England. II you can devise any other means or
have any suggestions to make you can communi-
cate as before: we will pass nightly until we
have some token @-Om you. We are two who
have sworn to SAVE you. One OF US will ascend
TO assist IN your descent II you desire it.. May
God, TO whom you have prayed, nerve you 10
your task
The next night we received the following
answer:
i will provide the ladder, which you will pull
toward you by the cord. have trusted eunuch
who will assist me- as his life belongs TO me.
Think well of the danger. / have no right to
place you in jeopardy. In case of discovery. a
rope ladder upon you would prove your guilt;
you would be seized and disposed of. none would
know how except the headsman. Your crime
and mine are punishable by death. My life is
nothing, nor would l be missed, but you have
loved ones at home. Should you change your
mind on the night appointed, God have mercy
upon ne! will not live to see the light of an
other day. have often meditated this act. /
have felt that God. to whom / have always
prayed. would deliver ms and that would be
allowed to thank him in His sanctuary. II you
hp know /
been betrayed. II all Is safe, the cord Will be
weighted with q silken purse containing Jewels
10 reward you and to assist me in my escape
Should you not find this token 1t Will be because
] have been discovered. Then be on your guard
against assassination. 1 shall not look for you
until the hour named
My friend, Captain H, had fallen most
desperately in love- l say desperately,
because he neither slept, ate, nor drank;
nor would he give me any rest. 1t was re-
assuring to me to see fellow so far gone;
had thought myself the only one who
could be so cracked" He was always at
my heels, and had become my shadow.
learned his whole history. The cause of
his going to sea was the removal of a fiaxen-
haired, blue-eyed school-mate, who had
been his beloved little friend from his
earliest memory. Her parents had moved
to Moscow, and thence, as he was informed,
sailed, with a cargo of grain for Falmouth
for orders. At Odessa he had made the
most searching inquiries, and learned that
a family of the same name had gone to
Alexandria about six years previous. He
had been, until our present adventure,
remarkably quiet and dif1dent He had
told me that his diffidence arose from the
fact that he was almost woman-hater, and
that he never expected to be happy until he
found his early love, whom he last saw
when she was eleven and he twelve years
of age. His interest in the fair captive
was doubtless aroused by the fact that she
strongly resembled his early love.
The eventful night arrived. I gave a
supper at the hotel to allay any suspicion
Supper was or4ered for twenty, and was
served at eleven o'clock, which meant an
all-night spree. Wine flowed freely and
had its effect upon our friends. At twelve
o'clock, by preconcerted arrangement, a
note was handed to me by a servant.
pretended that it had been sent by my
second officer, and that it announced that
my chief officer had killed one of the crew.
ApologlZing for my sudden departure,
promised to return as soon as possible and
finish the night. My friend, Captain H,
insisted upon going with me. l protested,
but he was obstinate, and finally, as the
company insisted that it was not safe to go
alone we two left in company.
We arrived at the gate in our usual ap-
parently drunken condition, feed the guard
literally, and passed through. A few min
utes later we returned and had our cigars
and lanterns lighted, pretending that the
latter had been put out accidentally. They
were so ready in assisting US that we gave
them another handful of piasters, and
made them understand not to allow any
one to follow US. They earnestly promised
and we started again, our hearts almost
bursting with rapid pulsation. We found
the cord; a purse was at the end of it. So
far all was safe.
Running to the farther gate as quickly as
possible, we repeated our former strategy
of brides, and the guards promised US that
while we were in the street nobody should
pass them. Thus we had the field to our
selves, with guards on either hand to pro-
tect US from interference.
We returned to the spot where the purse
lay. 1t was readily discovered by reason
of its brilliancy, being worked in gold and
silver threads. A stout cord was attached
to it. We pulled gently upon the cord and
drew down ladder made OF silk.
The night was dark. not a star visible.
Thus far every thing favored US. We put
strain upon the ladder with both our
weights to keep it from swaying, when
suddenly we felt heavy burden upon it,
and in an instant a man in white tunic
sprang from the ladder and seized me by
both arms, muttering something could not
understand. Letting go his iron grip upon
me, he took the Captain in the same man
ner. Then he sprarg up the ladder and
disappeared.
We were so taken by surprise that We
could not have defended ourselves if occa-
sion had required it. Treachery or not we
did not know, but we stood at our post.
Presently we felt by the strain on the rope
that some one was again descending. This
time it was the lady herself. She sprang
lightly to the ground, and moment later
came the man who had before descended
He was her faithful slave. He fell on his
knees and begged to be taken with US. But
this was impossible. He was to be relieved
by another guard at four o'clock, and his
absence would have caused the discovery
of the escape She advised him to return,
close the window, and let go the rope. She
would not be missed until noon, when it
would be impossible to know during whose
watch she had made her escape. 1t might
be supposed she had committed suicide, as
she had frequently threatened to do, and
might have done, by throwing herself into
the Bosporus through trap in the floor o.
q boar-house near by.
She did not speak nor evince any terror,
but trusted US entirely. AS we heard foot
steps rapidly approaching, and feared pur-
suit or meeting with street marauders,
we lost 10 tina IN reaching the gate. The
guard opened it immediately. The word